This section reviews the background to the project. It elucidates the decision to combine the two Strands A and C of the JISC Circular 1/99, sets out the aims and objectives for those Strands, and delineates the nature of the project management. The rationale underlying the request for a two-month extension to the project is set out.

In keeping with other JISC funded research initiatives, the decision was taken to create a unique designation for our research project and the following acronym was coined: JISC Usage Surveys: Trends in Electronic Information Services (JUSTEIS). This acronym is used through the report.

When developing the proposal for this research call, the decision was taken to link work tasks A and C since this had the following advantages:

• The use of consistent definitions and a unified categorisation of Electronic Information Services (EIS) for both surveys;
• Methodological advantage from the construction of common survey instruments;
• Resource savings made through optimal use of manpower during data collection;
• The ability to cross-tabulate data between tasks.

JISC, in delineating the areas of work for the two Strands, set out the following objectives:

• Strand A
  To undertake a periodic survey of EIS uptake and use, investigating the quantity and quality of take up, with a view to bridging the gap between the perceptions and the reality of user behaviour.
• Strand C
  To undertake a survey of resource access provided by individual Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK together with purchasing intentions.

During the creation of the research proposal, the need to create a clear definition of what constitutes an EIS and an EIS schema that would establish categories of EIS was indentified. Such a schema is relevant and necessary to both A and C work areas. The embryonic schema that was created for the research proposal was refined during the early phase of the study, scrutinised by the JISC Scientific Advisor, Jennifer Rowley, and by the JUBILEE project team at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle. The final version appears as the Taxonomy in Appendix 1.

The project team comprises:

The Project Team has met regularly, usually on a weekly basis with ad hoc attendance of members of the Project Board.

To manage the research, a Project Board was established at the outset, which comprised the project team, and two other members, Lucy Tedd (DIS), and Sandra Morris (Information Services at UWA) who attend in an advisory capacity. At the outset of the project, the Board also held one meeting with Jennifer Rowley, to discuss and confirm the aims, methodology and management of the project. Throughout the project there has been close liaison with Jennifer Rowley who has scrutinised the development of the survey instruments and who was involved in discussions relating to the extension of the project.

In compliance with JISC requirements, an Advisory Board was created comprising the members of the Project Board, Jennifer Rowley, Michael Keen (University of Wales, Aberystwyth (UWA), David Harrison (The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and JISC), and a representative from the JUBILEE project at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle. A meeting was held in November 1999 to discuss progress to date, the methodologies, the piloting of the survey instruments, and management and dissemination issues.

From the outset of the project, contact was made with the JUBILEE project team Joan Day, Linda Banwell, Pat Gannon-Leary, and rapport established, with Christine Urquhart acting as the representative on their advisory board. Throughout the project there has been an exchange of all relevant documents pertaining to the literature search and review, the survey instruments and the interim report.

In December1999, we were alerted to the survey of students on their use/non-use of JISC-supported networked services that MAU is to undertake. Given the nature of the MAU survey and its affinity with JUSTEIS, rapport was established with the MAU team and a copy of our survey population and our interim report was dispatched to them for reference.

A work schedule was created at the outset of the project, delineating the time frame, milestones etc. It was scrutinised by the JISC Scientific Advisor at a Project Board meeting and modifications made. A copy of the revised work schedule is appended (Appendix 2).

Following the poor response rate to student interviews and questionnaires in Strand A, the decision was taken in March 2000 to test an alternative methodology. The rationale underlying this was discussed with the JISC Scientific Advisor at a specially convened Project Board meeting and a request submitted for a two-month extension (Appendix 3). Permission was granted by JISC and the project continued until the end of June. Detailed consideration of the extension is made in Section 5.3.5.

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the researcher team, the other members of the Project Board and the Advisory Board. Our thanks also go, in particular, to Jennifer Rowley, the JISC Scientific Advisor who has given so unselfishly of her time.

We are also deeply grateful to the staff of all the participating HEIs who helped in setting up and facilitating the interviews and in the distribution of questionnaires.